Surface condenser.



No. 764,541. PATENTBD JULY 12, 1904' L. R. ALBERGER.

SURFACE CONDENSER.

APPLIOATIOI! FILED 23.16. 1903.

2 Bums-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR 9 g W. r I 5/ No. 704,541 PATENTED JULY 12, "1904.

L. R. ALBERGER.

SURFACE CONDENSER.

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INVENTOR life. 764L541.

iairrtln I. 'ita'lit Patented July 12, 190-1.

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liaison to a con- To (all whom it HIM/j] mote/nut:

Pie it known that l, Louis it. Mancunian, a

citizen of the United States; ol Anurica, and a resident of lllcenwich, in the count; of Fain field, State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Surface ()i'indenscrs, of which the following is a speci iication.

This invention relates to the production of a vacuum and the condensation of exhaust steam from engines and other etcamanotors, and particularly to that class of apparatus known as surface*condensere, in which the comlensation is produced by the contact of the exhaust-steam with metallic surfacea cooled by water and in which the vacuum in maintained by a vacuum or air pump.

A leading object is to l'iring RXliiLUSl/Hhfififil into coi'itact with metallic surfaces usually con- SlStll'lQ, oi tubes and containine, the coolingwater in ouch a manner that the water result-- ing from the condensation wili leave the condenser, which is the vessel in which the condensation takes place, at the highest possible temperature and one approximating that or the steam itstdf and to withdraw the air from the condmiser free oi Water and cooled to the lowest possible temperature and one approxh mating that oi the incoming coolinu'nvater.

in a surface coruhineer oi the common construction the exhaust-steam is ordinarily intrmluced into the steam-winceol' the COI'HlCTlHOI' from above and caused to travel in a down-- ward direction in contact with the tubes that convey the cooling: or circulating Water, while the water resulting; from the condensation oi the steam, together with the entrained air and Lincolnlensable vapors, travels in the same di rection and is finally removed from the coln denser by the vacu uni-1mm placed below, and also the riailing-Water, which usually passes through the tubes; einicrr-s at the bottom and circu lattes through one or more nests ornroups of tubes and leaves the condenser atithc top.

The condensation of steam in a coinlenser tallies place when the tmnpcrature ol' the steam becomes lower than the temperature due to l the vacuum or pressure of watei'-r.ipoi' that obtains. water that reaults from the condensation is iiit could liciiistantlv removed From the 001i" denser it would carrvivith it the greatest [Mfr nible, amount oi heat and a high ellicicncy would be obtained; but in cmldcnscrs oi the common construction the water of condenser tion an it falls down through the condenser is brought in contal'zt with the tubes containinn; cool water until it is finally removed after passing through the lower nest of tubes containing the coldest circulating Water. its a result it leaves the condenser at a tempt-rature which experience has shown to be about mid way belarcen that ol the cool i ngavatcrand that oil the exhaust-steam. condenaable vapor panning in the same direction and in contact with the water oi condom nation acquires practically the same intermediate temperature and the are usually both removed by asingle pump, known as a wet vacuuiii-pumpposes of the present invention the latter may be said to consist, essentially, in a condenser having the steam and coolinu water passing through it in directions the opposite of that just described that in to sav, the direction of liow oi each is reversed and as one of the ole against the entering steam, air, and uncourainuementol' parts, substantially as will hcreinal'ter be described and claimci f in the annexed drawings, illustrating my invention, l iu'urv l is a aide elevation of on! but slightly lower than thatol the steam, and

For the attainment oi the object and par cousimucnccs the water oi comlcusaiion trav-j densablc vapors instead of with them: and, i also the invention consists in means for caus- 5 innsteam to enter at or near the bottom 0]" the condenser on the same center line as the i l tubwsupportor at points on uall) distant thcrw fromon opposite sides oi" the latter; and, i'urthcr, the invention comprises HIHIIOFOUH de- 1 tails in the construction, combination, and ar--' The air and un- At this; time the temperatureoi the l l cximiple ol' my unprorrd surl'ace condenser l 1 having two swam-inlets at the bhttonn l iu.

2 is a similar view of another example of the l same temperature as the steam,or 125 Fahrencondenser having a single steam-inlet at the bottom. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of my improved surface condenser. Fig. 4 is a cross-section on the line a: of Fig. 3.-

Like numerals of reference denote likeparts in all the figures.

This, invention shows its greatest value in large machines and in the creation 'of high ranges of vacuum and where the greatest efficiency is required, as with steam-turbines and vacuum-pans. The old'systcm has many serious objections in such cases, which I am now seeking to overcome. Hitherto it has been found desirable in the production of high ranges of vacuum to pump the air by means of a separate dry vacuum-pump from which water is excluded. Consequently if such a vacuum-pump be connected to-the opening at the bottom of the ordinary and common condenser the air will carry with it the water of condensation, and additional means must be provided to separate the latter from the air and remove it from the system byanother pump or suitable means. Further, the air being in contact with the water of condensation has a temperature which isconsiderably above that of the incoming water, and so is not in the best possible condition to be pumped by the vacuum-pump.

Unless the air is cool it is not in the best condition to pump, because the pumping of air by a vacuum-pum p from the low pressure of a high vacuum to that of the atmosphere into which it is discharged requires a compression of several volumgs into one. For instance, with twenty-eight inches of vacuum or one pound absolute pressure the ratio of compression is fifteen 'to one, and the-lower the temperature during the compressions the higher the efficiency of the vacuum-pump, and this is best obtained by starting with the lowest temperature attainable. Again, the steam that is condensed by the tubes containing the heated circulating water falls down and is cooled by the lower tubes containing the cooler incoming water, so that the water of condensation when it is finally removed at the bottomof the condenser has a temperature considerably below that of the exhaust-steam entering the condenser and is not at the most desirable temperature for boilerfeeding. The loss of efiiciency by this method can be made plain by taking a case in which the temperature of the exhaust-steam is 125 Fahrenheit and that of the circulating water 75 Fahrenheit. The condensed water usually has a temperature about 1200 Fahrenheit, or 25 below that of the steam. It is a well-established fact that a fuel loss of about one per cent. is made by each decrease of .10 in the temperature of the boiler -feed-water, and

as compared with having feed-water at theheit, is about two and onehalf per cent. of the fuel honsumption.

In my present improved condenser the exhaust-steam enters the shell 1 at or near the bottom through the inlet-opening 5, as-shown g in Fig. 2, or the lateral bottom opening 14,

condenser through water-inlet 23 and cham-' -ber 10, from which it first passes through the upper nest of tubes 16. From tubes 16it entors the'chamber 8, whence it enters the second nest of tubes 17 and flows again through the condenser. At the opposite end of tubes 17 the water enters chamber 11 and from the latter flows into the lowest nest of tubes 18, through which it again passes through the condenser and finds its way into chamber 9. From this chamber the cooling-water has exit through the eduction-opening 7. Thus the circulating water passes through the upper nest of tubes first and then downward andout at the lower side of the condenser. Consequently exhaust steam strikes the hottest tubes first, and the air and uncondensable vapor remaining after the condensation of the exhaust-steam comes in contact with the upper or coolest nest of tubes before being withdrawn from the top of the condenser by the dry vacuum-pump. The withdrawal of the air and uncondensable vapor is made at one or more pointsas, for example,-through the pipe 19, which connectswith the top of the condenser-shell 1 at two points, as-shown in Fig. 3, and is furnished with a middle exit 20, which communicates with theair-pump. The water resulting from the condensation of the exhaust-steam falls downward by gravity, and whatever its temperature may be at the time of condensation it is heated up to a temperatu re approximating that of the exhaust-steam by contact with the latter before said water leaves the condenser at the bottom. The general result is that a more complete transfer of heat is obtained and greater efficiency secured, less circulating water is needed; and the water resulting from thecondensationis at a higher temperature and more desirable for boilerfeed. The air is removed in a cooled condition and'free from water.

. 'Inthe well-known construction of sifi face condensers in order to subdividethe water to as great a degree as possible and in that way obtain .a large exposed tube-surface it becomes necessaryto use a'verylarge-nuruber of tubes of small diameter. As these tubes are usually secured to the tube-heads by stulf inn-boxes to allow for the expansion and contraction of the tubes due to change in temperature, it follows that a number of smiling-boxes must be provided, so that the longer the tubes can be made the fewer will be required and the fewer stnifingdmxes will be needed for a given amount of surface.

For the same reason if fewer tubes are needed the tube-heads will be smaller in diameter. Accordingly it has come to be the practice to make tubes very lone, and on account of their length it has become necessary to support it is desirable to place the exhaust-steam inlet at or near the bottom of the condenser and either at the middie of its length, as shown at 1 1- and 5, orrat points on opposite sides of the plate 115 and equally distant therefrom, as

shown at 2 Q, and to place the exit-opening tor the air at or near the top of the condenser and either at the middle of its length or at points on opposite sides of the plate 15 and equally distant therefrom, as in the case with the two openings with which pipe 19 connects, as shown in Fig. 3.

What it claim is- 1. in a surface condenser, a shell containing tubes for the cooling-water, which are sup ported at a point or points between their ends, said shell having an exhaustentrance for ad initting steam at both sidesand near the bottom of the tube-support.

2. In a surface condenser, a shell containing tubes for the cooling-water which are sup ported ata point or points between their ends, said shell having an exhaust-entral'ice at or near the bottom for admitting steam at both sides of the tubesupport.

in a condenser, a shell containing a plnrality of nests of tubes for the cooling-water, which tubes are supported at a point or points between their ends, said shell l1avin,e;alsoian exlnu1st-entrancc at or near the bottom for admitting steam at both sides of the tubesupport, an inlet above for the cooling-watcr to enter the tubes, and an outlet below for it to leave them, all arranged so that the era haust-steam comes first into contact with the lowermost nest of tubes.

a. in a surface condenser, a piurality of nests of tubes for the coolingwater wl'iereby it "s iassed back and forth, chambers connecting the ends of the nests of tubesQmeans for supporting the tubes at one or more points between their ends, an inlet above for the cooling-water to enter the tubes, and an out let below for it to leave them, and a shell surrounding the tubes and having, an exhaustentrance for admitting steam at both sides and near the bottom of the tube-support, and bringing it first into contact with the lowermost nest of tubes containing the warmest water.

let being connected with avacuum-pronp, the obgect being to allow the exhaust-steam to travel in a direction opposite to that of the circulating water and opposite to that of the water of condensation.

6. in surface condenser for the condensation of cuhaust stcam and ,the production of a vacuum, ashell containing tubes for the cooling-water which are supported at or near their center, said shell having" an inlet at or near the bottom at one or more points for the entrance of the or;haust-steam, which inlet ad mits steam equally at both sides of the tube support, and said shell having also an upper outlet for the air at one or more points, connected with the vacuum-pump, said outlet bc-- ing arranged symmetrically with reference to the said support. I

7. in a surface condenser, a condenserehell i'zontainingr tubes for the cooliu water, and provided below with an inlet for the eahauststeam, and above with an outlet for the air, from which outlet connection is made with a vacuum-pump, and an inlet above for the cooling-water to enter the tubes and an outlet be low for it to leave them; in con'ibination with means for supporting: the tubes at one or more points between their ends, the exhauststcam being; admitted through its inlet equally at both sides of the tubee'upport.

8. in a surlace-condenser,for the condensation of CKllfittlS team and the production of a vacuum, a condensenshcll containirur tubes for the coolingovater which enters above and leaves below, and provided below the middle with an inlet for the exhaust-stoani, and provided also above the middle with an outlet for the a in combination with means for supporting the tubes at one or more points be tween their ends.

Signed at New York city this 15th day of April, 1903.

touts it. enhances.

Witnesses:

Jouu l-l. I-Iazumon, A. E. Simmons.

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